Chuntao was so frightened she didn’t know what to do, when she suddenly spotted Xiangguo running out of the outhouse.
“Big Yellow!” Xiangguo, seeing her dog Big Yellow edging toward Chuntao, also got a start and quickly scolded, “Big Yellow, come here!”
But Big Yellow had already reached Chuntao. Having been terrified of dogs since childhood, she stood frozen, trembling all over, too scared to move.
Big Yellow lifted his head, sniffed her, then gently rubbed his head against her pant leg, looking perfectly docile.
Seeing no sign of aggression, Chuntao finally let her tense nerves relax little by little.
Xiangguo came closer and saw Big Yellow softly rubbing against Chuntao’s leg, with no trace of malice in his eyes; her own anxious heart settled back down.
“Auntie, Big Yellow likes you!” Xiangguo’s eyes lit up. “He’s usually so fierce—he never acts this way with strangers. Look how affectionate he is with you!”
She reached out to stroke Big Yellow’s back and asked him, “Do you know my auntie?”
Big Yellow seemed to understand. He pressed his head against Chuntao’s leg again.
“Auntie, you’re the prettiest person I’ve ever seen. Big Yellow must love you because you’re so beautiful!”
The mountain valley was remote and sparsely populated. When Second Aunt Zhou went to work in the fields, Chuntao was always afraid staying home alone.
So she would bolt the door and stay in her room. She’d listen to the radio, and when she got sleepy, she’d take a nap.
But staying cooped up indoors day after day made her feel moldy. Earlier, she had gone to the outhouse, and afterward sat down in the shade of the tree in the yard to get some air.
Xiangguo had called out to her before rushing into the outhouse, but Chuntao hadn’t seen her—she’d only seen Big Yellow.
Big Yellow came over but didn’t hurt her. Luckily, the fright had passed without incident.
Just then, Second Aunt Zhou returned from the fields. Hearing Xiangguo’s words, she said with a smile, “This dog is smart—he knows good people from bad!”
She had to work in the fields every day and always worried about leaving Chuntao home alone. That very morning, she had considered bringing home a puppy to keep Chuntao company and give her courage.
Now, seeing how attached Big Yellow was to Chuntao, she said to Xiangguo, “Xiangguo, leave Big Yellow at our place. I’m uneasy about your auntie being home alone while I’m out in the fields. Let Big Yellow stay with her—that’ll put my mind at ease!”
Xiangguo, who already genuinely liked Chuntao, agreed at once: “Alright! Let him stay with Auntie!”
She then rubbed Big Yellow’s head and asked, “Big Yellow, do you want to?”
Big Yellow looked at Xiangguo, wagged his tail, rubbed against Chuntao’s pant leg again, and then lay down right at her feet.
When Xiangguo got home and told her parents about this, the couple found it peculiar.
Her father, Liu Ergen, clicked his tongue. “That dog usually bares his teeth at strangers. Why is he acting so strange today?”
Her mother, Zhao Qiaoling, chimed in, “Dogs are smart—he knows she’s family!”
Earlier, Zhou Zhijun had come by their house to deliver some things and mentioned in passing that his wife was pregnant and hiding from the family planning officials at Second Aunt Zhou’s place.
Zhou Zhijun had been a bachelor for decades, so the couple was quite startled when they heard he had suddenly gotten a wife.
They privately wondered: at his age, the wife was probably a widow or an older, unmarried woman, wasn’t she?
Later, Xiangguo told them that Chuntao was young and beautiful, the prettiest young wife she’d ever seen.
Zhao Qiaoling had said, “You’ve never even left these mountains—how many people have you really seen?”
Liu Ergen had agreed: “Brother Zhijun is good-looking, but he’s no young man anymore. How beautiful could the wife be?”
The two of them hadn’t believed it at all. Now, hearing that even Big Yellow was so affectionate with Chuntao, they couldn’t stay put any longer and wanted to see for themselves what Chuntao looked like.
After lunch, Liu Dagen—actually Liu Ergen—and Zhao Qiaoling went to dig sweet potatoes on the slope and deliberately passed by Second Aunt Zhou’s yard.
Second Aunt Zhou and Chuntao were eating lunch in the shade under the tree in the yard, with Big Yellow curled obediently at Chuntao’s feet.
“Big Yellow!” Liu Ergen called. Big Yellow glanced up at them, then turned his head to look at Chuntao, not moving at all.
Second Aunt Zhou saw them coming and couldn’t help feeling a little annoyed.
Chuntao had been there for over ten days already. The eldest brother, Liu Dashan, and his wife had come to visit long ago, but this younger couple hadn’t bothered to show up—showing no sense of social duty at all.
“Mom, having lunch?” Zhao Qiaoling spoke first, but her eyes kept darting toward Chuntao.
Liu Ergen chimed in, “Big Yellow doesn’t even recognize his own owners anymore.” As he said this, his gaze also wandered over Chuntao.
On the surface, they kept a calm expression, but inside, they were stunned.
They never imagined that Zhou Zhijun—a bachelor all his life and a man of few words—had married such a delicate, radiant young wife.
Chuntao hadn’t met them before and was already ill at ease. Now, being stared at so intently, she became even more uncomfortable.
“This must be Brother Zhijun’s sister-in-law?” Zhao Qiaoling’s tone carried a hint of pretense. “We’ve been so busy in the fields lately that we haven’t had time to come see you. Please don’t take offense!”
Liu Ergen added, “Think of this place as your own home. If you need anything, just speak up!”
“Thank you. I’m sure I’ll trouble you before long,” Chuntao replied politely.
It was the height of the autumn harvest, and Second Aunt Zhou was out in the fields from dawn till dusk, busy every moment.
Chuntao had never been one to sit idle since childhood. She always wanted to help lend a hand, but she felt weak and exhausted, often drowsy.
Besides, Second Aunt Zhou absolutely wouldn’t let her work in the fields. Chuntao couldn’t just sit at home doing nothing while waiting for her to return and cook.
At midday, Second Aunt Zhou came back from the fields. The moment she entered the house, she saw Chuntao busy at the stove and was startled. She hurried over to pull her away.
“Oh, my dear girl, go rest! You don’t need to cook!”
Her nephew had only gotten married after thirty, and his wife was pregnant. Zhou Zhijun doted on her; if anything happened to Chuntao from overworking, Second Aunt Zhou wouldn’t know how to answer to him.
“It’s fine. It won’t tire me out,” Chuntao said as she tended the fire, but Second Aunt Zhou pulled her up anyway.
“Go sit outside in the shade and cool off!” Despite being over sixty, Second Aunt Zhou was still sturdy and strong, stronger than Chuntao. She insisted on dragging her to the shade in the yard.
“You rest. I’ll cook!”
“Let me help you keep the fire going. I really won’t get tired.”
“You don’t need to tend the fire either. I can manage on my own!”
Chuntao couldn’t argue with her, so she obediently sat in the shade. Big Yellow squatted right beside her.
Sometimes he would look around alertly, then turn to look at her, never leaving her side.
Watching Second Aunt Zhou busy from morning till night and still worrying about her meals, Chuntao felt genuinely sorry.
After Second Aunt Zhou went out to the fields, Chuntao stayed indoors, doing needlework while listening to the radio, trying not to dwell on her worries.
She only hoped the autumn harvest would end soon. Once the winter wheat was planted, Zhou Zhijun would be able to come see her.
Without seeing him, she felt uneasy and lost, as if floating without an anchor.
That afternoon, Second Aunt Zhou went back to the fields. Chuntao sat in the room stitching shoe soles while listening to the radio.
She hadn’t been at it long when her eyelids grew heavy. She put the sole into her sewing basket and lay down on the bed fully clothed.
She had barely closed her eyes when she heard Big Yellow barking urgently outside the yard.
Chuntao’s heart gave a sharp lurch. She quickly turned her head and pressed against the window to look outside. The moment she saw who it was, her face instantly went pale—
Why on earth was he here?
